Hindu Musician and Awami League Leader Proloy Chaki Dies in Custody in Bangladesh

Melbourne, January 13: A prominent Hindu musician and Awami League leader from Bangladesh, Proloy Chaki, has died in jail. He was 60. Chaki served as the cultural secretary of the Awami League’s Pabna district unit under former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and was a well-known music director in the 1990s. His death has triggered widespread reactions across Bangladesh. While his family and the Awami League have accused the police of negligence and torture, the authorities have maintained that it was a natural death.

Proloy Chaki was arrested by police from his residence in Pathartala, Pabna, on December 16 in connection with a case linked to the anti-discrimination movement. He had been held at Pabna District Jail since then. After falling ill in custody, he was first admitted to Pabna District Hospital. As his condition worsened, he was transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where he died on Sunday night (January 11) while undergoing treatment.

Allegations of torture versus the administration’s account

Chaki’s death comes at a time of heightened political tension in election-bound Bangladesh. In recent weeks, following the death of student leader and political activist Sharif Osman Hadi, there have been allegations of increasing violence against religious minorities and opposition political workers.

The Awami League claims that Proloy Chaki was tortured while in custody. His family says he died because he did not receive proper medical treatment.

His son, Sony Chaki, said:
“There was no real case against my father. He was harassed without reason. We were not informed when his condition deteriorated in prison. He died because he did not receive proper treatment.”

However, Pabna District Jail Superintendent Omar Farooq rejected the allegations, saying:
“Proloy Chaki had been suffering from several illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes, for a long time. He was given regular medication. As soon as his condition became serious, he was sent to hospital.”

The authorities insist that he died due to illness and that there was no mistreatment involved.

Who was Proloy Chaki

Proloy Chaki was a popular musician and music director in the 1990s. He worked for many years at the Banamali Shilpakala Kendra in Pabna and was widely regarded as a dedicated cultural activist.

Md Habibullah, general secretary of Banamali Shilpakala Kendra, said:
“Beyond politics, Proloy Chaki was a sincere cultural worker and artist. We are deeply saddened by his death.”

Bhaskar Chowdhury, secretary of the Pabna Sammilita Sanskritik Jote, said:
“We cannot accept that he died this way. This death is truly painful.”

Proloy Chaki’s death has now gone beyond the loss of a cultural figure. It has raised fresh questions about Bangladesh’s current political climate and human rights situation.

In recent months, there have been repeated allegations of attacks on Hindus, vandalism of temples, arrests, and political harassment. Many fear that the rise of Islamist political forces and a deteriorating law-and-order situation under the interim government have made minorities increasingly vulnerable.

Chaki’s death has sparked a broader debate: are religious minorities and political dissidents now unsafe even in custody? While the authorities deny any wrongdoing, demands for an independent and impartial investigation are growing. In a democratic state, the fundamental expectation remains that no one should be persecuted or mistreated because of their faith or political beliefs.